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Fundamentals
Basketball Instruction

Welcome to the Fundamentals Basketball Academy teaching and training
site. The purpose and goal of this site is to help basketball players
worldwide improve their basketball skills through sound fundamental instruction
and teaching. The teachings on this site can be utilized by players
of all ages and modified by players of all skill levels to help each individual
develop, grow, and progress in the game of basketball. Instructional
topics will be presented quarterly (January, April, July, & October)
so please bookmark this site and return often to acquire information that
will help you progress in the game of basketball.

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Basketball Success Starts
With Fundamentals!

1st
Quarter Instruction!

Fundamentals
of Post Play

Questions You Need to Answer:Who should play the post?What determines a post player, Size or ability?Who has the advantage against his opponent?What is your advantage?Do I need to be able to dribble if I play in the post?How do I get the ball?

A. OBJECTIVE FOR POST-MAN: Get the ball on the block, as close
as you can to the basket, so you can receive the ball and take the highest percentage shot
possible.How?By
working for position!

B. POSITIONING: 1. If played from
the middle, hold position and signal for ball towards the baseline. 2. If fronted,
hold position and receive a loft pass over the defender and go to the basket. 3. If played from
the baseline, hold position and receive a pass towards the middle (lane)
for a variety of shot choices(See What
To Do When You Receive The Ball).4.
Catch
and Kickback.Knowing where
the defense and your teammates are at at
all times is a critical element in playing the post position. Not
only do you need to
know where your defender and the defense is you must also be able to see
the floor
and your teammates from your post position and know what your teammates
like to
do once they make an entry pass into you (i.e., reposition to a different
shooting
spot, cut to the basket, etc...). Once you kick the ball back to
your teammate
secure your position and prepare for a re-entry pass. Ensure that
you are on the block
and not in the lane where you will be called for a 3-second violation.
Many times a
kickback will cause the defense to move and readjust quickly which might
allow you the
opportunity to receive the ball right back for a quick scoring opportunity.
In this instance
being unselfish and passing the ball back out might be an avenue for you
to receive the
ball in a better and advantageous position which can lead to you scoring. 5. If played by
a great defender, go away (to the opposite block) with a quick V-Cut and
come back and reposition the defender. Many times as you move away
from your
position when a defender is doing an excellent job you will cause that
defender to give up
his/her good foot work and position. This will allow you the opportunity
to post the
defender in a position that is advantageous for you and your team.

C. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE
BALL: Once you receive the basketball
you've got to know what to do with it. From my experience as a personal trainer I have noticed
that most of the players that I train that have been utilized in the post position as young players
have only been taught one thing; keep the ball high, turn around, and shoot. For
a young player who is tall this has probably provided that individual with much success in his/her
early basketball career. However, as they have grown no one has taken the time to develop
their skills so they are in a position to grow in post play as they advance in the game of basketball.
Listed below are several skills for post players to work on to help develop their post play
abilities. We have taken the liberty to classify the moves for different skill levels.
Feel free to modify the list to meet your individual needs so you are in
a position to improve your
post skills.

Post
Moves 101(Basic Post Moves)

Post
Moves 201(Advanced Post
Moves)

1. Ball Fake and Jump Shot2. Power Move. Gather and explode to the basket.3. Quick move by putting the ball on the floor.4. Step Through/Up and Under.5. Drop Step (Baseline or to Middle of Lane).6. Turn around jump shot.7. Hook Shot (Right and Left Hand)

1. Set defensive man up to middle and come back baseline for a jump hook.2. Drop Step (Baseline or to Middle of Lane).3. Jump Hook (Left and Right Hand)4. Step Through/Up and Under5. Step Out (Baseline )with Jump Shot.6. Step Out (Baseline) with Ball Fake or Sweep Move and Drive to Basket.7. Step Out (Baseline) with release dribble backwards (one dribble) and Jump Shot.8. Drop Step Middle of Lane with exaggerated ball fake and release dribble towards free throw lane with jump shot.9. Shoulder shimmy. Fake with shoulders left and right quickly and then make move to either shoulder depending on your advantage (jump shot, jump hook, up and under, etc...). Be quick.

Getting Your Shot Blocked:Don't
be intimidated about getting your shot blocked. At some point it
is going to happen. However, don't let your post play be dictated
by your shot being block. Don't be intimidated! If it gets
blocked go after it and learn from it. Next time up the floor you
will know that the defender is either tall or that they can jump and are
now prone for a ball fake or other post move. Learn from the shot
block and use it to your advantage. As a post player, or any player
for that matter, you need to dictate to the defender. Having your
shot blocked does not make you a failure or any less of a basketball player.
Put aside the pride and worries of your friends harassing you after the
game. What that shot block has done for you is set you up to be a
student of the game. Learn from the defender and adjust your post
play accordingly. Good players look pretty. Great players learn,
advance, make adjustments, and dictate while the game is being played.
Be the latter.

Interior Passing: Great
post players draw defensive help. This type of post presence makes
interior passing a crucial element to your offensive game. The ability
to find the open man and make a quality pass is a critical skill that has
to be developed for a post player. Many times as you make a move
in the post defensive help will adjust to your ability, and this adjustment
causes gaps and holes in the interior defense that teammates will shift
to. Knowing how the defense will move before it happens and how and
where teammates may and may not be is crucial for interior passing.
For example, many times when
a post player spins towards the baseline and drives towards the basket
heading for a reverse lay-up the defense from the weak side post position
will drop to help and look for the shot block on that side of the basket.
Now we have two defenders heading right towards one another (strong side
defender staying with offensive post man with the ball and weak side defender
coming to help). This creates an interior passing opportunity for
the post player with the ball and the offensive post player from the weak
side of the basket. Many times the pass can be made between the two
defenders to the middle of the lane as the weak side offensive player shifts
to the middle of the lane for a quick lay-up or mini jump shot or a pass
can be made around the weak side defender to the weak side offensive player
for a jump shot from the weak side block area. This example is just
one of many interior passes that are available to post players. How
do I become a better interior passer? If you want to become
a better interior passer watch game tape. Watch games on television
and study the post players. When the commentator says that that was
a great pass from the center, find out why! Tape the game so you
can replay it in slow motion and learn to read the defense. See how
they adjusted to the post player and how that created better passing opportunities
for that post player. The same application holds true for a poor/bad
interior pass. Study why it was poor! If your parents or coach
get on you for making poor passes in the post position, find out why!
Tape your games, ask questions, and take every opportunity to learn. Become
a student of the game!!! If you want to get better then
watch, ask, and learn! Be the one player that asks who, what, how,
when, where, and why. The great ones always do!

In or Out: Some of the
best post players have the ability to go into the post or out to the perimeter.
This ability is especially valuable when you are dictating to the defensive
man that is assigned to guard you. If the defensive man guarding
you is big and slow sometimes it is great to be able to post him up and
step out to receive the ball on the perimeter (8 - 10 ft away from the
basket) so you can utilize your jump shot or your speed (ball fake and
penetration) to score the basketball. If the defensive man is small
and you have the post advantage then you want to take him/her into the
post and use your size and skill to your advantage. Remember, the
question you always want to ask yourself is "What
is my advantage?" Seek to find your advantage and your
defensive mans disadvantage and play to your strengths in that given situation.
There is nothing more frustrating that an offensive player who keeps trying
the same move over and over and keeps getting the ball blocked. That
players determination to score with that given move should be superseded
by their ability to adapt to the defense. Adapt is this context does
not mean retreat, it does however mean find your advantage and their disadvantage
and take that avenue that will yield a basket. Be a student of the
game. Learn from the defense and the defensive player assigned to
you. Don't wait until the game is over to say, "I should have done
this, _____!"

Feel Your Position: When
working on your post moves you need to be able to feel the defender.
When the defensive man is leaning on you and he/she moves their position
you need to be able to recognize that by the pressure exerted on that part
of your body. For example, if
a defensive post player is playing directly behind you and they start moving
towards the left side of your body to deny the pass then you should be
able to feel the contact and the movement. As they shift to the left
side of your body you should step into them starting with your left foot
then your right foot. Sit into their position, hold them off, and
then signal for the ball towards the right side of your body. Keep
contact with the defensive post player so you know where they are at without
having to look for them with your eyes. Contact on your body lets
you know where they are, what kind of position you have, where you want
to ball to be thrown to, and once you receive the ball what kind of moves
are at your disposal to use is that given situation.

If you ever have a defensive post player who works really hard and
has great foot work in the defensive post position then you need something
to counter their footwork. Many times a quick, aggressive, and talented
post defender will frustrate a post player who is use to getting his/her
way. This frustration at times causes post players to pick up unwanted
fouls. Those fouls generally come from the offensive post player
trying to physically move the defender so they can get position.
How then can you counter this type of a post defender? Spinning!!!As
we discussed earlier in the Positioning Section,
the fifth point, sometimes you have to go away on a good defensive post
player with a V-Cut and then come back and reposition. We want to
get them to give up their good position is exchange for bad position so
we as post players can occupy that good post position. So, to that
fifth point we want to add the spin. After we have cut away from
our position and are heading back to retake it we many times make contact
with the defender. In that contact we want to be prepared to spin
and seal the defender where we make the contact. For example,
after I have cut away and I am on my way back to retake my post position
I generally meet that defender a couple steps away from the original post
position that I desired. When the contact comes I do not meet the
defender with my chest, I generally meet the defender with one of my shoulder
blades. This allows me to make contact and roll into the position.
The spin move requires good footwork and timing. As my left shoulder
blade meets (in this instance) my left foot is in front of his/her right
foot (since he/she is facing me). Remember, I am not leading with
shoulder like a football block, I am however in a position to receive contact
on that shoulder so I can spin. Once my left shoulder makes contact
I roll towards the ball. My back will maintain the contact allowing
me seal them out for the position. My right foot will drop with me
into the post position that I want allowing me to be able to face the entry
pass and hold my defender off. (The spin move is like taking and
individual by the shoulders and spinning them in a circle. You push
on one shoulder while you pull on the other. As the example illustrated
above the contact with defender is a push on my left shoulder and as I
drop my right foot and spin and keep contact with my defender I am pulling
the rest of my body into an offensive post position.) The spin move
helps me counter the good defensive job my defender was doing and it enables
to me secure the position that I wanted.Note: Sometimes you have
to abandon the post to retake it. If your defender is doing a great
job then go away to another spot on the floor and patiently wait for your
opportunity to take the position back. Determination is a key but
it must be applied correctly. You can be so determined to take the
post position back that you become physically frustrated and end up picking
up an unwanted foul. However, determination applied with knowledge
will allow you to work for the position and retake it keeping you away
from unwanted fouls and placing you in position to use your offensive post
talent.

Use of Dribble: As a post
player it is important for you to be able to utilize the dribble.
The dribble, however, in the post does not need to be one where you are
beating the ball into the ground as you back your defender in. Guards
love for big men to put the ball on the floor in this fashion so they can
come around and steal it. The dribble that we want to emphasize is
one that is quick and one that takes you somewhere. For example,
when I make a power move and put the ball on the floor it is with a quick
drop step and I only utilize one dribble. Most interior moves only
require one or two dribbles at the most. If you are dribbling more
than that then you need to give the ball back to the guard so it is protected
and so you can repost for better position. Another key element to
the dribble in the post is being able to dribble with both hands.
You must be able to use both hands for dribbling and shooting (in the post
position) and be able to drive to your left and right. If you are
a post player then there is no better time than the present to begin working
on your ball handling. Remember, one quick aggressive dribble will
help add to your post move ability.

Finishing the Move: As
a post player, or any player for that matter, it is important that you
finish your move. Your objective is to score or get fouled.
That is why it is important to be able to use both hands to shoot and dribble
in the post. When you go up for a shot and the defense grabs your
arm and you have the ability to get the ball to your other hand and shoot
you only increase your chances for a three point play. Scorer's find
a way to score and so a strong finisher should find a way to get the ball
up to the basket. The Dunk!
If you can dunk, then do so. However, if it takes you five feet to
stutter step and gather then just focus on getting to the basket quickly
and finishing the move with power and strength. If you have to take
too much time gathering you are just giving the defense an opportunity
to get to you. If you can take one drop step and dunk then do it
when the opportunity presents itself. Remember, every post move does
not have to be a dunk. The crowd may be impressed with your jumping
ability but how are you helping your team. The more damage you can
do with your overall post moves the more opportunities will open up for
you to have easier dunks. Round your game out in the post and you
become harder to guard, harder to manage, and easier to recruit.

Article Written By:Troy SowdersOwner and Head Basketball InstructorFundamentals Basketball Academy

We hope that the Fundamentals Of Post Play have and will help you
become a better player. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions,
or additional drills that we can add to our list please feel free
to e-mail us at tsowders@fundamenatalsbasketball.com.
If you need an explanation on any of the drills we have listed please e-mail
us and we will do our best to help you understand the drill so you can
work on it during your training time.

Our goal at the Fundamentals Basketball Academy is to help you turn
weaknesses into strengths and strengths into weapons. We do
that through fundamental instruction. Because we know that the road
to basketball success begins with fundamentals.